Resurgence of Militancy in Jammu and Kashmir?

16th August 1998

KUPWARA (North Kashmir): The recent long encounters between foreign militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's border district of Kupwara, inflicting heavy losses on
the latter are a red signal for the troubled State. Authoritative sources
confirmed to The Hindu, that recently several groups of militants had sneaked
into the Valley carrying huge quantities of sophisticated arms and
ammunition. Most of them are foreigners and directly sponsored by Pakistan's
Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the sources said. Comprising 15 to 20
militants each, the groups sneak in through Machil, Keran, Manigah, Nowgam
and Satkogi in Bangus and the Budnambal Valley which are densely wooded.

Through Nowgam, the militants reach Handwara and then descend to Baramulla.
After crossing over, the militants do not immediately come down. "First, they remain in the alpine forests in the Shamshabari range. Later, they slowly come down to the plains to make their base strong in populated
areas," a senior Army officer said. The foreigners, armed with Pika guns
and AK-76s, outnumbered the local militants. While unofficial estimates put
the number of foreign militants operating in Kupwara district alone at
around 500 to 800, Army authorities are more cautious in their estimates.
"The number must be around 200 but it is a fact that 75 per cent of them are foreigners," says Major General V. G. Patankar, general officer commanding (GOC), 28 Infantry Division. About the organizations operating in
the area, Maj. Gen. Patankar described the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen as
the "mother of all outfits" adding that the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the
Harkat-ul-Ansar did not have much presence.
The Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen and Al Barq are the other outfits operating in the
district. Besides a few battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles, the Border
Security Force and the State Police are also actively engaged in fighting insurgency. Notwithstanding the efforts of security forces to bring the
Kupwara region, once called the "gateway of militancy" back to normal, the
influx of foreign militants seems to be sending the signal that "bad days"
could be back. The areas was one of the worst-affected in the State by the
militancy, but following tough counter operations and the surrender of
several top militants, the situation had looked to be heading towards
normality. In recent months, the encounters between militants and security
forces have witnessed a qualitative change. "The encounters are of long
duration and there is loss, some way or the other to security forces," said
a top official.

"They (foreign militants) are ready to sacrifice their
lives unlike the locals who give up easily." Another major cause of worry
for the authorities is the reported attempt to bring into the State, the
Taliban militia. Highly placed official sources said that some militants who
were recently captured by security forces had disclosed that the next step
from across the border to "sustain militancy in Kashmir" would be to push
the Taliban in. "They (the Taliban) are ready to get in as they believe in
fighting a `holy war' anywhere in the world," the detained militants
reportedly told their interrogators. It is to be seen how effective the much
publicized pro- active policy of the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani,
against militancy would be.